[digital_biscuit]

From deciding i wanted an allotment to being given a plot was 7 days!! Very happy!!

[sparky]

Laughing here. Ours took about 3 weeks. It's less than 100yds from our house. Only small compared with a lot on this forum, but we'll take the next one when this is finished as allotment ownership is low on the locals list of "things to do when the pub shuts"

[Petite graine]

I read that a few of you have allotments just behind their back gardens. How lucky is that ?! I am so jealous  :shock:  

[Petite graine]

Some waiting lists are just incredible  :shock:  :?

[alan42]

i am the lettings manager for our parish council and we have 10 on the list now but most want and i quote ( a nice one that is already dug over as i havent much time for digging and dont realy like that bit i just want to plant stuff i want one with a little shed on it with a varanda so i can sit and sunbate on in the summer, one that has nice people next to me so we can have a jolly good laugh , it sounds so realy jolly having one but how much do you think sombody would charge me to dig it for me as i have a bad back, i want one i can cover in flowers i dont want to grow veg ). honest i have had all these said to me when i phone them to offer them a lottie. i now tend to give them to the people who already have lotties and i know will work and look after them.
alan

[fatbelly]

On the news about three years ago, there was an article about Islington in London because that was where Tony and Cherie Blair had bought a house.

So the article was saying what can they [The Blairs] could expect from Islington, Pubs, Restaurants, Shops etc etc. The news crew visited the local allotments and said that because houses with large gardens were so scarce in Islington the waiting list for allotment plots in the borough was approximately 25 years long.  :o

My brother who lives in a town where the vast majority of properties have gardens had no wait for an allotment and he could have had his choice of plots! Where I live there are a great number of flats and small terrace houses with little or no gardens so the demand for plots is very high.

[crowndale]

Following on frm that theory I have to wonder why demand is so high where I am as most properties have reasonable sized gardens but then I guess even the house I am in has a reasonable sized garden I just want some space for kids to run around and play as well as a vege patch!  And I don't want to be constantly telling them to mind the veges/fruit in their playing so an allotment seems an ideal solution.

heard tuesday I had gone up to number 3.  Also heard that there are moanings and groanings from establised plot holders blaming the PC for the floods!  The lady working at the PC thinks there will be a few giving up because of the weather this year.  Spoke to a plot holder yesterday who took on a plot from an established plot holder who earlier in the year had covered this new chaps half with black plastic then rotovated his half.  After giving up the half plot to this new chap he moved the black plastic to his half and hasn't been back since, that was in april so hopefully he will be getting his eviction papers this year as well, nice plot complete with greenhouse,I could go for that!  Lots of weeds but also lots of ground with no weeds now!

[Salkeela]

Following on frm that theory I have to wonder why demand is so high where I am as most properties have reasonable sized gardens but then I guess even the house I am in has a reasonable sized garden I just want some space for kids to run around and play as well as a vege patch!  And I don't want to be constantly telling them to mind the veges/fruit in their playing so an allotment seems an ideal solution.

This is interesting - I'm hoping to set up a field here as an allotment site, but worry that most people close by have gardens.   I live 5 mins drive (2.5 miles) from the nearest small town and about 15mins drive (10 miles) from Belfast's centre.

Must get a move on if there is a chance of opening for next year!

[mushroom]

i am the lettings manager for our parish council and we have 10 on the list now but most want and i quote ( a nice one that is already dug over as i havent much time for digging and dont realy like that bit i just want to plant stuff i want one with a little shed on it with a varanda so i can sit and sunbate on in the summer, one that has nice people next to me so we can have a jolly good laugh , it sounds so realy jolly having one but how much do you think sombody would charge me to dig it for me as i have a bad back, i want one i can cover in flowers i dont want to grow veg ). honest i have had all these said to me when i phone them to offer them a lottie. i now tend to give them to the people who already have lotties and i know will work and look after them.
alan

The allotment next to me is like that. A nice enough bloke rents it, but I think he's not cognizant of the effort required. He ran a brush cutter through it a week before I got mine. A month later, it looks like nobody has touched it in years, apart from new lush verdant growth.

I'm kind of hoping he doesn't do anything with it, so I can grab it  :twisted:

[gregmcalister]

I was quite lucky with mine as the allotment had lain empty for a couple of years and had only just opened up again this spring.  I saw an advert online, sent and e-mail and went to view the available plots the next day.  By the time I had a look there were only a few plots left.  The plots were overgrown and all the sheds were taken but I ended up with a decent plot, no trees growing and a shed of sorts.  The first job I did was to clear and dig the whole plot which was very hard work but it had to be done.  The other new allotmenteers would come up to me and tell me to take it easy, there's no prizes for first place etc etc.   I look back now and the majority of plots have now been abandoned as the new owners obviously didn't realise that hard work was involved.  The way I saw it it was better to dig the whole plot before the weeds really started growing but others didn't see it that way.  The thing is we have quite a big waiting list now and all these unworked plots which now resemble a jungle.

[paintedlady]

Although I pay council tax to a particular borough, I had to contact my local town council who gave me a list of allotment sites in my area.  Only 2 sites out of 6 had available plots, and that's because they are not the most popular with regards to location (one next to a sewage works, and my site is tucked away and not easily seen from the road)

Basically I was able to get both plots immediately on request.  However, the other 3 vacant plots on this site are in poor condition and need a lot more than just clearing.

[SkipRat]

I had a look at the allotment on a Sunday, rang the council on the Monday and got my site key by the Tuesday.  

[si-mate]

Got hold of the council in the week, arranged the meet the site manager on Sunday and got given a key straight away. The plot had already been rotovated by tractor.

There are 3 sites within a 10 minute walk of us and I'm sure we've got the best one.

We have an access road at the end of our plot so nice and easy to bring tools and materials and a water trough at the end of next doors plot.

We're just waiting for next door to lose interest (I think it's only a matter of time) then we can have a full plot.

[yummy]

Only had to wait a couple of days and it was sorted    Thought we would be waiting years. We were just in time though cos the site is full now.

[flowergirl]

ive got a half plot but the 2 either side of me are very neglected and i have never seen anyone there it is so annoying the council dont seem to care that someone else could be wanting a plot, people seem to chuck rubbish on there 2 dead wheel barrows,3 compost bins,a hand cart,various bamboo sticks,a hose pipe and clods of earth(donated by me i must say  :oops: )thats why waiting lists are sooooo long